Sneaky Jonathan visits Mubi, Baga

President Goodluck Jonathan Thursday paid a surprise visit to Mubi, Adamawa State, and Baga, Borno State, some of the areas that were being terrorised by Boko Haram sect, where he also met with and encouraged Nigerian soldiers battling insurgents in the North-Eastern states.

The president who sneaked into town was accompanied by the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki; service chiefs and the state governor, Bala Ngilari.

A source said the visit was designed for the President to interact with soldiers in the battlefield and assess territories already reclaimed by troops from the insurgents.

It will be recalled that Jonathan had on January 15 paid a similar surprise visit to Maiduguri, Borno State believed to be the stronghold of the sect.

The president also paid a courtesy call on the Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Isa, to sympathise with and strengthen the morale of the people of Mubi over the loss of their love ones and properties destroyed by the insurgents.

The president who landed in Yola International Airport around 11 am amidst tight security boarded a helicopter to Mubi along with Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police.

The president’s chopper landed at the Mubi army barracks from where he took a ride to the emir’s palace where he met the Emir and members of Mubi Emirate traditional council.

A resident of Mubi, Idris Buba, said there was heavy security in Mubi during the president’s brief visit.

“When the President and his entourage left the emir’s palace, they headed to Vimtim village, the home town of Chief of Defence Staff, Chief Air Marshall Alex Badeh, who is also in the president entourage”,  Buba said.

According to him, the president also held a closed door meeting with the three Service Chiefs who were already in Vimtim Village ahead of the president.

Mubi is the second largest town in Adamawa and among those recently recaptured from Boko Haram by the military.

 

 

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now